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Little To Complain About

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Margaret Dwyer, better known as Mardie, is the author of four books.

As a 91-year-old resident of a unit in Southern Cross Village, I feel I had little to complain about during my enforced isolation.

I have a large family, four of whom live locally and one who bought our former homestead. She and her husband live in Sydney, and after isolating for 18 days, she decided to bring her laptop in one day a week and worked from my table, with me in another room.

This, and the very brief visits of the other four when they handed in yummy cooking, and/or groceries from the door, kept me from feeling lonely, as well as extremely well fed.

I realise how fortunate I am and know there are many who either don’t have family or they live too far away to be able to do this.

My kitchen cupboards have never been so organised, as well as my wardrobe. I had time to phone people who I knew might be lonely and vulnerable for a chat.

On the negative side, my spiritual life, which is so important to me, declined. Weekend masses were discontinued, as well as daily masses at the school chapel, which I rely on for spiritual comfort. Admittedly, Father Barry arranged for a home liturgy kit to be delivered to us over Easter with all the epistle and gospel readings for Holy Week. I am still receiving a weekly bulletin with all the readings for the current weekends, so all that is missing are my fellow parishioners and Father to share them with, plus of course Holy Communion.

On Anzac Day, Bobby Strickland and I, complete with a portable keyboard, took a stroll through the entire village about 11am, (no one would want 6am in this neck of the woods!) I played The Last Post, we recited the ode and finally Bobby sang the National Anthem. Residents came out of their units and some followed us from venue to venue. The help of Harry and Doreen Westcott was much appreciated by the two Pied Pipers!

There is no doubt my TV and online technology helped me to keep my spirits up when I missed the physical presence of those near and dear to me. I still consider I was very blessed.

By Mardie Dwyer

Snippets…

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

First Online Author Talk: Adam Courtenay, author of The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter will feature in the Parkes Library’s very first online author talk on Friday, 22nd May at 6pm. Library members and residents will have the opportunity to hear from the Sydney-based writer and journalist about his new book The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter streamed live on Facebook. The book is a microcosm of Australian colonial history, setting John Batman’s unbridled ambition against Buckley’s yearning to keep his adopted people alive. Please RSVP to this free online event by clicking ‘going’ on the Facebook Event page. Viewers will be able to make comments and ask questions via the comments section.

Vegetation Program: Essential Energy started a comprehensive vegetation management program in Parkes and the surrounding area, to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the local electricity network. The vegetation program is about striking a balance between preserving the town’s trees and ensuring power safety and reliability for the community. Residents can download Essential Energy’s Tree Planting Guide at essentialenergy.com. au/trees for tips on appropriate species for planting near powerlines or contact 13 23 91 for more information.

No Time To Be Complacent: The Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) has urged local residents to come forward for COVID-19 testing, even if the symptoms they have experienced are mild. The symptoms can be very much like those you experience with a cold or hay-fever – a sore or scratchy throat, a cough, shortness of breath, or fever. Testing is available at general practitioners (call ahead), respiratory clinics, and testing clinics at smaller rural hospitals (call ahead). If you’re unsure of whether you should be tested, or where to go, contact the Western Public Health Helpline on 1300 066 055. The test involves taking swabs from the back of your nose and throat. If you’re tested in a NSW hospital and your test is negative, you’ll get a text message within several hours of the results being known. If your test is positive, you’ll be contacted by a person from NSW Health about how to isolate and they’ll talk to you about who you’ve been in contact with.

Food Is COVID Safe: The federal, state and territory agricultural ministers have moved to reassure and reiterate to Australians that there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food. The Victorian regulatory authority and the Federal Department of Agriculture does not intend to initiate a recall of any product produced at Cedar Meats after the outbreak of the disease in a Victorian abattoir as the products are safe.

Our Bloke – Kim Chambers

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? I was born in Parkes and have lived here all my life. Having grown up in the town you get to know a lot of people. Everything you need is here.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I am retired and have been for 12 years from the DMR, RTA. I love to get in the shed and do woodworking and furniture restoration.

What is your favourite thing to do when you have free time? I am a bit of an artist and every Wednesday I enjoy going to art group and doing some landscape painting. And I enjoy doing cryptic crosswords.

What makes you proud? My family – my children and grandchildren all live in Parkes and I am very proud of them all.

If you could be an animal which one would you choose, and why? A bird, I’d like to fly.

What is your all-time favourite movie, song and/or book, and why? I like the old movies: The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Sting; any Elvis music, I like to read paperback westerns.

Tell us about your best holiday. My best recent holiday was driving the Great Ocean Road and traveling through central Victoria.

What is on your bucket list? I would like to drive the Eyre Highway along the Nullabor and play the Nullabor Links (world’s longest golf course).

Mateship And Team Spirit In Isolation

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

When it comes to such trying times as we are in at present the true colours of mateship and team spirit come shining through.

Parkes Dragon Boat Club (PDBC) members have found ways of staying connected under the current laws and the closure of waterways.

First came Maggi’s virtual morning teas with an Easter hat parade, and entertainment from Louise, Beth and Bill.

As the weekly virtual chat proved so popular, Robyn came up with a novel idea to do a virtual walk along the iconic Route 66 in the USA, covering 3,665km. A good number of members are counting daily steps with a fair section already covered.

Whilst counting his steps, Gattie came up with the idea of taking selfies outside other members’ homes when out exercising… Safe distancing at its best!

Al is keeping everyone entertained posting his hilarious ‘bin isolation outings’ every week.

In lieu of training time, club members opted for volunteering and are helping out twice a week at Georgie’s Pantry.

Bill has set up a simulated boat over their pool and with the easing of laws and consent given by the local Police, Beth has started one on one coaching for members.

Staying connected is a vital cog in helping to come out the other end of this pandemic as a strong and healthy group.

It makes me proud to be part of this club with an amazing band of people. If you’re looking to join a great group, we will welcome you once we are back on the water.

By Bill Thomas,
PDBC President

Peak Hill Artist’s Celestial Emu ‘Coined’

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

STARS IN HIS EYES… Wiradjuri artist Scott “Sauce” Towney with the $1 collector’s coin depicting his art work.

When Peak Hill artist Scott “Sauce” Towney first started working on a project to draw constellations of Wiradjuri stories in the night sky about five years ago he never imagined one of the works would feature on a $1 coin one day.

Reality sunk in this week when he received the stunning silver coin depicting the majesty and wonder of the Emu in the Sky constellation packaged in a beautiful box. The uncirculated coin is part of the Star Dreaming series of three coins of the Australian Mint.

“It is fantastic and surreal at the same time,” said Sauce. “I’ve been an artist all my life, and this one is up there. I guess this is my 15 minutes of fame. Everyone in my small community is congratulating me.”

The Peak Hill Central School posted on Facebook: “We are incredibly proud of our former student.”

Going back five years, Sauce was approached by an astronomer in Orange, Trevor Leman, who was working on a research project on Wiradjuri constellations as the indigenous Australians were the first astronomers and have been using the stars as navigation maps, calendars and to tell stories for tens of thousands of years.

He asked Sauce to illustrate the 13 he had picked out, which included the Emu in the Sky, a constellation seen as a silhouette traced by the dark spaces in the Milky Way.

Sauce said when the completed works were on exhibition at the Parkes Library, Trevor mentioned in his speech at the opening that the Australian Mint was interested in using the Emu on a coin. “That came as a big surprise as it was the first I had heard of it.”

The Emu in the Sky as shown on the $1 coin.

It took another two years before Sauce could hold the actual coin in his hand, but in the meantime the Emu has become a bit of a celebrity capturing everyone’s imagination.

In September 2017 six of Sauce’s works were unveiled at the Community Wall in Peak Hill forming part of the public art trail in the Parkes Shire. The panels included his beautiful drawings of The Mighty Yarran Tree, The Eagle’s Nest, Cockatoos, The Seven Sisters, The Great Creator, and of course The Celestial Emu. Sauce was also asked to do a rock carving of the emu for the new Parkes Hospital.

Sauce has been a finalist in the NSW Premier’s Indigenous Art Awards and has completed many commissions. He specialises in drawing and pyrography and experiments with a variety of materials for his contemporary style of indigenous art. He is currently back at his former school in Peak Hill to paint murals using contemporary Wiradjuri patterns.

“I use the patterns on tree carvings as my inspiration, but do not copy them. I use them in a contemporary way as a means of preserving our patterns.” He also aims to put an element of fun in his designs for the school.

If you would like to own one of these very special $1 collector’s coin depicting Sauce’s rendition of the Emu in the Sky, go to the Australian Mint’s website to purchase it online.

By Maggi Barnard

Upgrade For Three Showgrounds

May 15, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Three showgrounds in the Parkes Shire have received good news this week of grants worth thousands of dollars for upgrades to facilities.

The Parkes and Tullamore show societies will receive $102,183 and $148,550 respectively through the Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants program, while Peak Hill received funding through the improvement program of the NSW Government.

A total of $20 million in grants were allocated to 122 regional agricultural show societies to renew and reinvigorate ageing showgrounds.

Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, said the grants would also serve as a much needed cash injection in the wake of recent bushfires and the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Ag shows are the heart and soul of our regional communities. They bring and keep communities together, link the country to the city and provide a key boost to these local economies.”

The money in Parkes will be used to carry out repairs to the luncheon room involving roof, box guttering and ceiling replacement, and repairs to the main arena grandstand including flooring, seating, handrails, steps and loose brickwork. Bird-proofing will also be installed.

The Tullamore Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Association Inc will use the money to concrete the poultry shed floor, provide new flooring for bathrooms, line the pavilion dining room, install shelter over horse yards, construct a verandah for the pony club shed, provide power for barbecues and shelter at the camping area, and provide portable yards.

The upgrades at Peak Hill will focus on keeping facilities safe and functional.

Dogs No Longer Ask ‘Where’s Wally?’

May 8, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

One of the over 750 dogs and puppies rescued and rehomed by Wally’s Doggie Rescue in Parkes over the past three years.

No one knew when Wally’s Doggie Rescue signed on their first foster carer in Parkes three years ago just how much need there was in the Central West for dog rescue.

Cathy Arman, who established Wally’s on the Central Coast almost 15 years ago before she moved to Parkes, started with the occasional long-term foster dog.

Her daily motto was ‘build it they are coming’, and today Wally’s has nine large secure dog pens, three 1.8m high fenced exercise yards and a 2.4m high security exercise yard.

Dogs of all ages and sizes have been fostered in Parkes over the last three years on their way to their forever homes and a few mums have had their last litter in care before being de-sexed and finding their very own homes.

The oldest foster Teddy celebrated his 17th birthday as a permanent retiree foster weighing in at 4kg, and Thor, who weighs in at 64kg, the biggest boy who came into care.

Over 750 puppies and dogs have passed through Parkes, eating around 100kg of dog food a week.

HELPING HAND

Cathy started noticing a high number of working breed dogs at pounds, and put two and two together that the drought was taking its toll on dog ownership. She wanted to help and contacted her friends at Pet Rescue.

Mars Pet Foods in Bathurst quickly responded to Pet Rescue’s request for help and donated over 30 pallets of dog and cat food.

Logistics of storage and distribution had to be organised and without thinking twice, David Potts of Parkes Brick and Pavers put his hand up to help out. “Everyone else who was asked all jumped on board, including SCT Logistics, Georgie’s Pantry, Tommy’s Hay Run and lots of locals from townships in the Central West. Everyone helped to get the food out to where it was needed most,” said Cathy.

Mars Pet Foods donated pallets a second time approaching Wally’s Doggie Rescue to help out fire affected areas too. The distribution network grew quickly with David Potts’s connections, the local Farmers Federation members and Lions Clubs throughout the state to ensure over 100 pallets of top-quality pet food reached eve- ry corner of the state.

RESCUE

Wally’s has a good working relationship with many pounds in NSW and focuses on dogs that are critical on put to sleep (PTS) lists. Wally’s works closely with Orange Council and recently Molong Council, with a large reduction in their PTS rates. The aim is to also establish a working relationship with Parkes Council.

For more information go to Wally’s Doggie Rescue on Facebook or find dogs available for adoption on www.petrescue.com.au

If You Can’t Have A Holiday, Have A Haircut

May 8, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

No one knew how seriously the virus was going to affect businesses and the community initially.

It took a couple of weeks for people to realise how virulent the virus was, which meant huge adjustments in places of work, like in hair salons.

Regulations for hairdressers were confusing, first introducing half hour appointments, and shortly after changing it back to unlimited time per client.

Initially it was very stressful for staff dealing with rearranged appointments, cancellations, spacing of clients and sanitisation. We found the best way to deal with it was laughter.

As time went on, coming to the salon for our senior clients was a life line in some ways as they do not have access to internet, live alone or do not have family around.

We asked clients why they came to the salon during the pandemic and some said they could not do their own hair because of medical issues. Others said interaction with our staff and other clients gave them some normality, while for others it improved their self-esteem, or helped them cope with isolation.

At first, we were puzzled as to why we were still allowed to operate, but came to the realisation we were contributing to mental health and wellbeing.

As the old saying goes: “If you can’t have a holiday, have a haircut.”

By Janice Cassidy

A Meal A Day

May 8, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Meals on Wheels have become a vital service to many senior residents in our Shire as people have been urged to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions and stay at home.

“I cannot stress how important it is for our older residents to stay home as this crisis continues to unfold,” said the Member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormick earlier on.

Although faced with challenges, Meals on Wheels in Parkes have continued to not only deliver hot meals to their 90 clients, but to also offer support and social contact.

“It is business as usual for us,” said the Manager Gill Kinsela.

As with other organisations, many volunteers have had to step down during this time, and the office staff at Meals on Wheels have stepped up to help out with the daily deliveries of meals, and checking in on clients to make sure they have what they need. The Parkes Services Club has continued making the hot meals.

The Meals on Wheels service has been at the heart of the community for 56 years delivering hot and nutritious meals, as well as frozen meals to clients in Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore.

Winter News: Vaporisers Vs Humidifiers

May 8, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Humidity, not only prevents good hair days, but can also prevent a number of issues: from static electricity to nosebleeds. It can also help you breathe a little easier when sick!

To increase the humidity of your home, there are two products that work wonders – a vaporiser or a humidifier. Both add moisture to the air, helping to ease cough and cold congestion. The key difference between the two products is how they introduce moisture.

Vaporisers boil water through a heating element to create steam. The steam cools down before it leaves the machine and enters the air. Humidifiers can work in two different ways. Some use ultrasonic vibrations which disperse a cool mist of water into the air. While others may use a disc submerged in the machine which is rapidly turned. As the disc turns it breaks up the water into tiny particles which can be inhaled.

POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

When selecting a device, it is important to consider several points. Steam vaporisers contain hot water inside, which may cause burns if spilled. Therefore, it is not recommended around small children and pets.

Overuse of the devices can also cause rooms to become overly humid. This may allow mould and bacteria to grow in your home. If you notice water beading up on windows and walls, or damp floors, move the device, decrease its level or discontinue its use. Good ventilation also reduces the risk of becoming overly humid.

Come into Parkes Pharmacy today to dis- cuss which device is best for you!

HELPING HAND

RESCUE

POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION

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